A Vista for Microbial Ecology and Environmental Biotechnology

Rittmann, Bruce E.; Hausner, Martina; Löffler, Frank E.; Love, Nancy G.; Muyzer, Gerard; Okabe, Susumu; Oerther, Daniel B.; Peccia, Jordan; Raskin, Lutgarde; Wagner, Michael

doi:10.1021/es062631k

Cited by 120 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…al. (1) suggest that the field of environmental biotechnology within the context of full-scale engineered biological systems should focus on managing microbial communities rather than focusing on a "solves-all problems superbug".…”

Section: Mixed Microbial Consortia For Thementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only in recent years has this environmental management discipline, appropriately referred to as environmental biotechnology (1), been recognized for its potential to synthesize commodities and provide services beyond waste treatment (1). However, this proposition is not without challenges.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, this proposition is not without challenges. Foremost, any proposed commodity-producing biologically-based process must be relatively easy to operate, stable, and largely self-correcting (1), which demands functional stability within the anticipated diverse microbial community. Although this fundamental requirement is not necessarily congruent with all current biological treatment processes (e.g., biological nitrogen removal; biological phosphorus removal (2,3)), recent research applying advanced molecular techniques provides evidence of stable ecological functions within diverse and seemingly different mixed microbial populations (4,5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Functional Stability of a Mixed Microbial Consortium Producing PHA From Waste Carbon Sources

Thompson¹,

Coats²,

Smith³

et al. 2007

Applied Biochemistry and Biotecnology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) represent an environmentally-effective alternative to synthetic thermoplastics; however, current production practices are not sustainable. In this study, PHA production was accomplished in sequencing batch bioreactors utilizing real wastewaters and mixed microbial consortia from municipal activated sludge as inoculum. Polymer production reached 85%, 53%, and 10% of the cell dry weight from methanol-enriched pulp-and-paper mill foul condensate, fermented municipal primary solids, and biodiesel wastewater, respectively. Employing denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S-rDNA from PCR-amplified DNA extracts, distinctly different communities were observed between and within wastewaters following enrichment.Most importantly, functional stability was maintained despite differing and contrasting microbial populations.

show abstract

Section: Mixed Microbial Consortia For Thementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Functional Stability of a Mixed Microbial Consortium Producing PHA From Waste Carbon Sources

Thompson¹,

Coats²,

Smith³

et al. 2007

Applied Biochemistry and Biotecnology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Combining engineering and biolgoical disciplines to address environmental engineering challenges is not necessarily a new concept, and has been discussed previously (e.g. Daims et al, 2006;Rittmann et al, 2006;McMahon et al, 2007), however these studies primarily focus on biotechnology/treatment type processes, whereas an interdisciplinary approach to study urban water infrastructure systems has received far less attention. The aim of this paper is to describe the work carried out in the MUWS project so far to permit the application of advanced microbial methods specifically in drinking water distribution systems and sewer networks, thus highlighting the potential of our integrated approach.…”

Section: The Interdisciplinary Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

MUWS (Microbiology in Urban Water Systems) – an interdisciplinary approach to study microbial communities in urban water systems

Deines

Sekar

Jensen

et al. 2010

Drink. Water Eng. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Microbiology in Urban Water Systems (MUWS) is an integrated project, which aims to characterize the microorganisms found in both potable water distribution systems and sewer networks. These large infrastructure systems have a major impact on our quality of life, and despite the importance of these systems as major components of the water cycle, little is known about their microbial ecology. Potable water distribution systems and sewer networks are both large, highly interconnected, dynamic, subject to time and varying inputs and demands, and difficult to control. Their performance also faces increasing loading due to increasing urbanization and longer-term environmental changes. Therefore, understanding the link between microbial ecology and any potential impacts on short or long-term engineering performance within urban water infrastructure systems is important. By combining the strengths and research expertise of civil-, biochemical engineers and molecular microbial ecologists, we ultimately aim to link microbial community abundance, diversity and function to physical and engineering variables so that novel insights into the performance and management of both water distribution systems and sewer networks can be explored. By presenting the details and principals behind the molecular microbiological techniques that we use, this paper demonstrates the potential of an integrated approach to better understand how urban water system function, and so meet future challenges.

show abstract

“…The elucidation of basic relationships between microbial community structure, dynamics (that is, changes in community structure) and functional stability is a key step toward the rational design of functionally stable systems (Briones and Raskin, 2003;Curtis et al, 2003;Rittmann et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation of patterns of denitrification instability in replicated bioreactor communities with shifts in the relative abundance and the denitrification patterns of specific populations

2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To assess the effects of community structure on the stability of denitrification, six chemostat cultures derived from the same denitrifying community were subjected to step increases in feed nitrate concentration and monitored for evidence that denitrification was either not occurring (indicated by the presence of nitrate) or was incomplete (indicated by the presence of nitrite or nitrous oxide). Functional stability was defined and quantified from the pattern of effluent concentration trends of nitrate and denitrification intermediates. Microbial community structure and dynamics were analyzed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Functional stability varied: one chemostat community lost the ability to reduce all of the influent nitrate; others continued to reduce all of the influent nitrate, but accumulated varying amounts of nitrous oxide. The microbial community structure in two of the chemostats diverged from the others, and variation of functional response among chemostats corresponded with the divergence of community structure. The Acidovorax-like terminal restriction fragment (T-RF) dominated the chemostat that accumulated nitrate, and an Acidovorax-like isolate reduced nitrate directly to dinitrogen gas in batch nitrate reduction assays. In the nitrous oxide-accumulating chemostats, the relative abundance of the Pseudomonas-like T-RF was strongly and significantly correlated with the magnitude of nitrous oxide accumulation, and a Pseudomonas-like isolate accumulated nitrous oxide in batch assays.

show abstract

A Vista for Microbial Ecology and Environmental Biotechnology

Cited by 120 publications

References 32 publications

Functional Stability of a Mixed Microbial Consortium Producing PHA From Waste Carbon Sources

Functional Stability of a Mixed Microbial Consortium Producing PHA From Waste Carbon Sources

MUWS (Microbiology in Urban Water Systems) – an interdisciplinary approach to study microbial communities in urban water systems

Correlation of patterns of denitrification instability in replicated bioreactor communities with shifts in the relative abundance and the denitrification patterns of specific populations

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About